Israel, U.S. Initial Accord

November 26, 1982

TEL AVIV (Nov. 25)

Israel and the United States initialled a long-term agreement tonight on the American use of Israeli knowledge resulting from the Lebanon war, and the future provision to Israel of any American technical improvement and developments as a result of that information.

The agreement was initialled by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon and Andrew Marshall, the Pentagon’s assessment officer and Deputy Defense Secretary, who headed a delegation of experts who came here to prepare the groundwork for the agreement of great importance to both countries.

The American defense establishment is anxious to learn details of the working and capabilities of modern Soviet equipment such as the new T-72 tank and the MIG-25 plane, as well as sophisticated surface-to-air missiles. Israel destroyed a number of all such types of equipment during the fighting. Other groups of U.S. experts are due in Israel for closer on-the-spot examination of the Israeli experience.